RESEARCH PAPER
Body weight and assessment of sexual life – a cross-sectional study
1
Department of Humanization of Health Care and Sexology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, Poland
2
Department of Biomedical Aspects of Development and Sexology, Faculty of Education, Warsaw University, Warsaw,
Poland
Corresponding author
Maciej Bialorudzki
Department of Humanization of Health Care and Sexology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, 65-046 Zielona Góra, Licealna 9, 65-046, Zielona Gora, Poland
Department of Humanization of Health Care and Sexology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, 65-046 Zielona Góra, Licealna 9, 65-046, Zielona Gora, Poland
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Body weight can be one of the health effects affecting people’s well-being in its many aspects. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between body weight and sexual life.
Material and methods:
In June 2020 a survey was conducted online on a nationwide representative group of 3,000 Poles. A year later, in June 2021thje survey was repeated on a nationwide representative group of 2,500 Poles. The data obtained from 4,266 respondents were then analyzed. Four proprietary questions were used to assess sexual life, based on which a 3-point scale was developed (2020 – α = 0.80, homogeneity 61%; 2021 – α = 0.77, homogeneity 64%).
Results:
Excess body weight as measured by BMI was more common in 2021 than in 2020, which confirms the upward trend in body weight in society (55.5% vs. 52.7%). In 2020, more respondents indicated a good assessment of their sexual life than in 2021 (27.3% vs 23.5%, p=0.007). People with excessive body weight rated their sexual life as poorer on the scale (2020 p=0.003; 2021 p=0.009). Multinomial logistic regression showed that people with obesity (BMI>30) had a 1.7 higher increased risk of poor assessment of sexual life than those with normal weight (OR: 1.728; 95% CI: 1.396–2.138; p<0.001). In addition, multinomial logistic regression showed significance for the poor assessment of sexual life for the following factors: age 50–65; female. On the other hand, the following factors were associated with the good assessment of sexual life: age 18–29, being in a relationship, and the year of the study.
Conclusions:
Body weight may be one of the most important aspects affecting the assessment of a person’s sexual life. Educating patients about the correct body weight is extremely important in order to improve their health and sexual life.
Body weight can be one of the health effects affecting people’s well-being in its many aspects. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between body weight and sexual life.
Material and methods:
In June 2020 a survey was conducted online on a nationwide representative group of 3,000 Poles. A year later, in June 2021thje survey was repeated on a nationwide representative group of 2,500 Poles. The data obtained from 4,266 respondents were then analyzed. Four proprietary questions were used to assess sexual life, based on which a 3-point scale was developed (2020 – α = 0.80, homogeneity 61%; 2021 – α = 0.77, homogeneity 64%).
Results:
Excess body weight as measured by BMI was more common in 2021 than in 2020, which confirms the upward trend in body weight in society (55.5% vs. 52.7%). In 2020, more respondents indicated a good assessment of their sexual life than in 2021 (27.3% vs 23.5%, p=0.007). People with excessive body weight rated their sexual life as poorer on the scale (2020 p=0.003; 2021 p=0.009). Multinomial logistic regression showed that people with obesity (BMI>30) had a 1.7 higher increased risk of poor assessment of sexual life than those with normal weight (OR: 1.728; 95% CI: 1.396–2.138; p<0.001). In addition, multinomial logistic regression showed significance for the poor assessment of sexual life for the following factors: age 50–65; female. On the other hand, the following factors were associated with the good assessment of sexual life: age 18–29, being in a relationship, and the year of the study.
Conclusions:
Body weight may be one of the most important aspects affecting the assessment of a person’s sexual life. Educating patients about the correct body weight is extremely important in order to improve their health and sexual life.
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